Improvement in submarine ordnance



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DANIEL FITZGERALD,

PATENT EEicE.

OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENTN SUBMARINE ORDNANCE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 121,455, dated December5, 1871; antedated December 2 1871.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, DANIEL FITZGERALD, of New York, in the county of NewYork and in the State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Submarine Gannon or Mortar and do hereby declare thatthe follow- V ing is a full, clear, and eXact description thereof,reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to letters ofreference marked thereon making' a part of this specilication.

lThe nature of my invention consists in the construction and arrangementof a vessel with one or more cannons or mortars, which will be partiallysubmerged in water, and which can be made to throw shellsor balls ofdifferent caliber.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my inventionappertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe itsconstruction and operation, referring to the annexed drawing which formsa part of this specification, and in which- Figure l is a side view ofthe vessel. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same. Fig.3 is a side view of a steel shaft, the use of which will be hereinafterfully set forth. Fig. 4 is a front view ofthe guns in the stern of theboat. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 6 is a plan view of thevessel, and Fig. 7 is a longitudinal vertical section of the largecannon or mortar.

A represents a vessel of any suitable size and dimensions, having a holeor aperture in its bottom. In this aperture is placed a large mortar, B,which is hung on trunnions having their bearings in the sides of thevessel A. This mortar is so arranged that it can be turned on itstrunnions so a-s to be horizontal, perpendicular, or at any angledesired; and when placed horizontall y it Will ill up and close theaperture in the bottom of the vessel.

Usually mortars or cannons of very large caliber have to be very thickso as to withstand the immense pressure from the inside; but if such amortar or cannon were partially submerged in water the pressure of thewater on the outside would counteract the pressure from the inside tosome extent, and hence the mortar need not be of such great thickness.For this purpose I place the mortar B as above described, so that whenit is to be lired at an angle its breech, and in fact the greatestportion thereof, will be submerged in water and the water itself receivethe greatest portion of the concussion. I may not hang the mortar ontrunnions, but have it placed stationary at a certain angle, if sodesired. It will be seen that in either case the vessel itself, so tosay, becomes the gun-carriage, and as both the gun and the vessel are inthe water the effect ofthe concussion will be greatly lessened. Besidesthis advantage the mortar is kept constantly cool, and as a consequencecan be fired with greater rapidity and for a longer period than isusually the case. To increase this cooling effect of the Water I mayperforate the sides of the mortar longitudinally, either partially orclear through, forming a series of passages, a, a., in or through themetal, as seen in Fig. 2. Such perforations will not, as might besupposed, impair the efficiency of the gun.

If it is desired to use smaller projectiles another cylinder, G, may beinserted in the mortar B. This cylinder I cut with circular grooves itsentire length, or place hoops or rings around the same at suitabledistances apart, and provide with a lip or iiange, b, which extends overthe upper edge of the mortar B, the main portion of the cylinderprojecting above the same.

Water is admitted between the mortar and cylinder, whereby the strengthof both these concentric cylinders is consolidated and combined, and, atthe same time, it keeps the inner cylinder cool.

In Fig. 7 I have represented the cylinder O with a series of concavecircular grooves and rings, c c, put around the outside of a cylinder,d, which thus increases the strength ofthe gun, as the strain has atendency to go oft' in two directions; and, besides, when the gun isimmersed in water it will become cooled a considerable distance into themetal. I also provide a steel tube, l), which may be smooth or riiied,and is inserted into the cylinder C, its rear end being enlarged, asseen in Fig. 2, so as to form a chamber for the powder. The tube Dextends beyond the front end of the cylinder O, and is, at its mouth,provided with an elastic steel ring, e, which rests against the outerend of the cylinder G. The size ofthe mortar B, cylinder C, and tube Dshould be such that when the mortar is placed horizontally the mouth ofthe tube D shall be iiush up against the end of the vesselthat is,against the inner front side of the cavity in which the mortar isplaced. Through the bow of the vessel is placed a steel tube, f in sucha manner as to form a continuation of the tube D, so that any projectilefired from the tube D will pass through the tube fand ont at the bow ofthe vessel.

The tube f may be used alone as a gun, in which case I insert a shaft,E, Fig. 3, of steel or other suitable material, in the tube D, the frontend of said shaft being even with the mouth of the tube. In the innerend of the tube f is inserted a plug or block, E', which forms thebreech of the gun, and is supported by the shaft E. A vent-hole, 5, isthen also provided. In the stern of the vessel are made two cylindricalopenings, in which are inserted two guns, F F. These guns arc madethicker or provided with rings or bands around the mouth and breech ofsuch size as to fit eXactlyin the cylindrical openings in the vessel,While the center of the guns has a chamber or space around it, which isfilled with Water through an aperture in the upper side of the vessel.The guns F F may also have grooves, as seen in Fig. 5, for the samepurpose as above described for the cylinder C. Around the mouths of theguns F F is placed a block, G, which connects the two guns together,

and, being secured to the stern of the vessel, holds the guns securelyin position.

It will be understood that I may use as many guns or cylinders, oneinside the other, as may be desired, having water between them, and notconfine myself to the specific number above mentioned. I

It is well known that heavy guns which must be of great thickness, arevery hable to crack and burst; but by combining a series of guns, oneinside ofthe other, a-nd the interstices iilled with water, I get allthe advantages of a solid gun ofthe combined thickness without thedanger of bursting, as the water tends to con- V solidate and combineall the thicknesses and, at

the same time, keeps it cool. Safety-valves are of course placed atconvenient points, as well as inlet and outlet-tubes, so that any steamthat might possibly be generated may escape, and so that the Water canbe drawn oif and replenished again. Another advantage of making a heavygun in this manner, so to say, in sections, is that it can be far easiertransported than if it was in one solid piece. The gun which I haverepresented in Fig. 7, having a series of conical or concave rings, maybc used Without water; and these rings may be of almost any shapedesired-the more conical the betterand answer all the purposes of asolid gun ofthe same thickness, with the additional advantage of therebeing no danger of bursting, as the expansion of the metal tube has freeroom to go 0E without any injury to the outer circumference. These gunsmay then also be used as field-pieces, or be placed in some stationarybattery, in which latter caselI may also surround it by water, if sodesired.

When the gun is placed horizontally in the vessel the breech should comedirectly against the rear side of the cavity in 'which the gun isplaced, thus taking oi' all effects of the conconcussion. from thetrunnions. When the gun is placed at an angle and consequently submergedin water, then the water receives a great. part of the concussion,relieving the'. trunnions.

The gun or tube fin the bow of the vessel is surrounded by a series ofrings, m m, made of steel or other suitable material. These rings aremade in kind of zigzag shape, as shown in Fig.

1, and slipped over the gun and fastened to.

gether in any suitable manner, forming a part of the vessel, and may beof any diameter desired, so as to form, in fact, a gun of enormousthickness. The rings m m, being of the peculiar shape above mentioned,will'allow for any eXpansion of the gun itself without any danger ofbreaking or bursting.

I am aware that guns4 have been made of a series of straight ringssecured together; hence I do not claim such to be my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The mortar B, hung on trunnions or stationary in the bottomof thevessel A, so as to be partially submerged in Water while it is beingdischarged, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

2. In combination with the mortar B', the cylinder C, constructed asdescribed, and the space between the two filled with water, substantiallas and for the purposes herein set forth.

3. The combination of the mortar or gun B, 011e or more cylinders, G,and the tube D, provided with a zigzag or corrugated iiange, E, allconstructed substantially as specified.

4. The arrangement, with the vessel A, of the mortar or gun B, one ormore cylinders, C, and the perforated bow f, forming an elongation ofthe gun, all substantially as set forth.

5. The gun herein described, composed of a series of conical or zigzagrings surrounding a central core, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this22d day of April, 1869.

DANIEL FITZGERALD.

Witnesses LEOPOLD EvER'r,

